The LPE Project hosted a one-day conference on Friday, February 2nd, titled “Administering a Democratic Political Economy.” This convening brought together scholars in administrative law, racial and gender equity, and democracy for an in-depth exploration of the evolving landscape of administrative law scholarship and practice.
We are at a critical moment where questions of administration, governance, and democratic authority are front and center. The administrative state is central to meeting challenges such as climate change, the care crisis, and requires robust administrative power for the implementation of a more egalitarian political economy.
Historically, administrative law has often run roughshod over communities of color and other marginalized groups. This is partly due to the apolitical, proceduralist frame of much of administrative law discourse and partly because of the ways in which administrative law has been siloed from discussions of power, race, gender, and social movements. In recent years, scholarship has started to break down these silos, for example, through historical approaches to ‘administrative constitutionalism’ and renewed interest in law and political economy. This convening will build on these foundations to tackle fundamental questions.
The conference featured three panels, including discussions on “Structural Injustice in the Administrative State,” “The Administrative Construction of an Inclusive Economy and Society,” and “The Administration of the Macro Political Economy, Industrial Policy, and Climate Change.” The event took place in a hybrid format at Yale Law School. For those who could not attend in person, a recording of the conference is now available for public viewing here.
Conference Schedule
Opening Remarks
Panel 1: Structural Injustice in the Administrative State
- Speakers: Bijal Shah, Sabeel Rahman, Karen Tani,
- Commentator: Nick Parrillo
Panel 2: The Administrative Construction of an Inclusive Economy and Society
- Speakers: Blake Emerson, Joy Milligan, Chris Havasy
- Commentator: Cristina Rodriguez
Panel 3: The Administration of the Macro Political Economy, Industrial Policy, and Climate Change
- Speakers: Amy Kapczynski & Joel Michaels, Andrew Hammond, Saule Omarova, Zach Liscow
- Commentator: Kate Andrias